Mike
Ah yes, the Blunder Years. That beautiful stretch of time when we all thought frosted tips were edgy, eyeliner was a personality, and posing with your arms crossed made you look mysterious instead of deeply uncomfortable.
This post is full of the greatest hits from r/BlunderYears—awkward school photos, cursed outfits, and hair choices that felt right at the time (but definitely weren’t).
It’s a nostalgic cringe-fest in the best way, and if you’ve ever winced at your own yearbook photo, you’re in the right place.
1. 1996 I sewed my own dog vest and I loved it so much
2. Almost 25 years ago… i used to wrap my hair up with things. This is my last year of High School Year book photo. 17 years old. Phone cord head band. So stylish! What’s a phone cord?!
3. Me seconds after throwing one of the worst hissy fits I can remember because my parents would not allow me to pose with my bootleg pikachu doll at a funeral in 2006.
4. At 15 we ran a lesser known but well respected offshoot of the Crips in Berkshire, England.
5. Dear diary, mood: apathetic
6. Don’t ask me why the Kindergarten’s photographer decided to portray 5 year old me as a communist leader
7. For some reason my younger self decided to try and shave my eyebrows. The day before 1st Grade school pictures.
8. How I went to senior prom in 2000
9. I made the Jersey shore look like proper dandy’s. (Douche cringe) 20+ years ago
10. I was trying to smile like a Ninja Turtle. Doesn’t translate well when actual humans attempt it.
11. I wore this vest and fedora combo everyday on that trip. The concierge at our Disney resort said “I dont trust this guy” about me and my fedora.
12. In 7th grade I photoshopped myself marrying Andy Biersack…
13. Kindergarten, late 80s
14. Me thinking I was cool with my pet crow in 2003
15. My first ever school picture. I’m told it made my mother cry.
16. My First Facebook Profile Picture, Circa 2008
17. My mother used to call me megamind. Circa 2013
18. My wife’s favorite picture of me
19. Our band picture, we never actually learned to play instruments, Circa 2009
20. Refused to wear anything but the sweater on picture day. Mom and I eventually found a compromise by adding the collar polo.
21. Studying the blade runs deep in my blood.
22. Used to wear this bunny suit long after it was age appropriate and theme appropriate… In this photo it wasn’t even Easter, it was someone’s birthday.
23. Yes, I really wore this to school…
24. yes that is my real head, no this photo was not edited.
25. When I ran for 5th grade class president
26. 15 years ago. (If you care about the integrity of hair you don’t want to know how I achieved the tie dye looking bangs, and no…. My eyebrows never grew back 3x thicker than before shaving them despite my wishes.)
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28. I was 12 and I wore this t-shirt proudly to school.
29. My boyfriend used to cut my hair with a Flowbee, and I got stoned and let my friend shave my eyebrows off and had to draw them back on for months
30. Senior Portraits Part 2: Electric Boogaloo
31. My wife framed this atrocity. 7yrs old in 1987.
32. When I ran for 5th grade class president
33. Prom 2004
34. We met on MySpace
35. My boyfriend and his mom in 1992.
36. Putting cigarettes out on my shoulder to look “cool” Circa 2013
37. Senior Portraits Part 2: Electric Boogaloo
38. The 80s were rough.
39. The year was 2012 and my buddy and I dropped the heaviest country inspired anti system EP of the year
40. Went to school as a girl for Halloween, Circa 2007
41. Bonus awkward hilarity:
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